Cooking & Eating & Living in Paris (& Leaving it, sometimes)

Main menu

Children must eat

…and if you asked me, I’d say we should bring them up with the best food we can possibly get hold of. I mean, what’s the use of industrial fish fingers, artificially flavoured instant sauces, packaged pizza (“Greek style”) and deep frozen chicken from the killing fields of our times? There isn’t any, as you might agree.

So you have to cook – which isn’t a guarantee for success though. Maybe your loved ones are not willing to enjoy what you so carefully prepared for them? Here’s a trick that I’ve been taught in my own German childhood long ago. Just put the little ones under some social pressure. You think I’m kidding? Well, just sort of. Here’s the German trick (and maybe it’s used in other cultures, too, if so, please tell me!): you fill a spoon, you move it to the child’s mouth and say: “Now here’s a spoon for grandma…”, and then: “Here’s a spoon for your best friend Jack…”, and then a spoon “…for your beloved Latin teacher”, and one “for Leonardo di Caprio”, “for Angelina Jolie”, “for the Boston Celtics”, “for the German football team” or for whoever your kid might like. You will see: it works (as long as they’re very young), and even food that is considered tricky with children like the salmon I’ve prepared for dinner tonight will be highly appreciated.